Sophie Spiegler (Dip - MBACP)

About me

Working with over 13 years of counselling and mentoring experience, I offer an empathic, non-judgemental space for you to be heard and understood. Working with both personal and professional experience we go at your pace, with what you want to bring, be it your past, present, or your future.

I am trauma informed, meaning if you have experienced trauma in your life, we can work safely to avoid overwhelm.

I specialise in working with people who have been impacted by dysfunction in their lives; perhaps you have family issues, or have a parent with addiction problems or mental health problems, experienced childhood trauma and abuse, experienced family conflict, suffer with anxiety, or would like support with communicating with family, friends or colleagues but find if difficult to manage your emotions. You may be feeling sad, wonder if you have depression, or perhaps you have had a baby and are concerned you may have post natal depression.

(I offer home visits for when childcare is an issue, for mums) We work together to find understanding and meaning from your life experiences, explore skills to manage in everyday life and move towards healing.

What to expect

After you get in touch, we will meet to see if counselling is right for you. If we decide to work together, we will set up our sessions and begin our therapy. There is time for you to ask questions about the process, discuss what you would like to get out of the therapy and ask any questions you may have about me and the way that I work.

Who comes for therapy?

You may want to come for therapy because you have no where else to turn, and are in crisis. As the stigma of mental and emotional health decreases, you may wish to come to therapy because you recognise you would like support and whilst you may be surviving life, you may be fed up with the status quo and want to move to thriving. Childhood issues may be holding you back from living the life you know you want.

Therapy can be many things for many people but primality it is time dedicated to you to explore what you need. Perhaps you want to work on your self esteem, due to low self confidence, or want to reduce the amount of stress in your life. You may have old self-harm behaviours or recognise attachment disorder or a feeling of dissociation from your life. Together we work to help you get the most from your therapy, to meet your needs.

Walking therapy

I also offer walking therapy - just a short walk away from the therapy room, we can walk in nature which can bring new perspective to your life. The physical act of moving can help to shift painful feelings, invite you to feel more grounded and build more connection to self.

Get in touch

Please get in touch through email or phone call, where we will talk briefly about why you would like therapy. From there we will arrange to meet and I will answer any questions you may have about the process. I understand that taking the first step can be scary and disorientating and is often the hardest but most rewarding step to take.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained at R-Vision in an transpersonal Integrative model - described as a psychotherapy with a soulful perspective. My model includes theories from Freud, Jung, Fritz Pearls and Yalom, as well as modalities including Gestalt, Existential, Humanistic, Neuroscience, Family systems and Archetypal.

What that means;

We will work in the here and now and provide you with skills to build resilience to manage stress

We will learn emotional intelligence, to help you manage your feelings

We can explore your past experiences and how they have shaped you

We will take into context your family, cultural and social life, to explore how they continue to shape and impact you

We can include awareness of a spiritual context, should you wish to

The modality is an holistic modality which includes body, mind and soul.

Additional training includes;

Group therapy

Play therapy

Sibling rivalry

Tantra

Working with metaphor

Online mentor training

Non-violent communication

Working with sexual abuse and violence

Safeguarding

In utero experience

Working with SEND

Working with substance misuse and cultural awareness.

Peer attachment

Mindfulness

Working with shame

Working with dreams

Working with the body

My experience includes working with;

Anxiety

Depression and post natal depression

Trauma

Panic disorder

Sexual abuse

Emotional abuse

Childhood trauma incl. domestic violence

Family issues and dysfunction

Low self-esteem and low self-confidence

Stress

Children of addicts

I have worked with adults face to face, on Skype and telephone and online. I work with adults and young people (18+ currently). I also offer walking therapy. I have worked with children, however am not currently taking on clients under 16 years old.

For testimonials please see my website; familychanges.co.uk and for further insight into my work please read my blogs. These blogs can also offer you the chance to reflect on your self in a self development capacity.